How to check your oil
Before embarking on a road trip, it is always a good idea to check the oil in your car, especially if you haven’t just had an oil change. Without enough oil, the moving parts of an engine will have no lubrication and may seize up, and as Murphy’s Law dictates, this will always happen at the very worst time possible.
Not to worry, it’s a really simple process, and there’s no heavy lifting involved. You will need a rag, preferably one that you don’t want to use for anything nice, because you are going to end up smearing oil all over it.
Next you are going to open the hood. Most cars have a lever under the dashboard that will release the hood. Make sure you use the metal support to hold the lid open so it doesn’t fall on your head while you’re checking on everything.
Now you are going to need to check the dipstick. Usually this is going to be a yellow ring that you will pull, but if you are unsure, check your owner’s manual as placement can vary from engine to engine.
Once you have the dip stick out, you are going to wipe it off with a rag. It needs to be clean in order to check the oil level properly. Once clean you will place it back and pull it out again.
When you look at the end of the stick, you should see where the oil level currently sits. If it’s between min and max, you’re all good, have fun and go on your road trip. If it’s on min or below, you are probably going to need to top it off, just to be safe.
If you are topping off the oil yourself, be sure to do another dip stick test to see if the oil level is high enough. Otherwise, you can go to a full service gas station and they will do it for you.
By checking your fluids before a long trip, you are making sure there is one less thing that can possibly go wrong, and when you’re driving in the middle of nowhere, that can mean a lot. So have fun, enjoy the open road, and be safe.
Call Insurance Specialists today at 702-307-3398. We write insurance in Nevada, California, Utah, and Arizona. We will take care of your insurance needs as you take care of your vehicles oil demands.